Explore and Interpret the Psychology of Kim Jong-Un: Understanding the Mindset of North Korea’s Leader and Its Implications for Foreign Policy in the Trump’s Return

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has exhibited irrational and unpredictable behavior, including the bombing of a South Korean airliner in 1987, which resulted in the loss of 115 lives (Kim, 1993, 2023), and an attempted assassination of the President of South Korea in Rangoon (Jung, 2023). These actions led former U.S. President George W. Bush to label the DPRK as part of an “axis of evil” in 2002, indicating a perceived threat to global security (Glass, 2019; Kotch, 2003). Later, President Donald Trump intensified this rhetoric with terms like “fire and fury” and “rocket man” (Keneally, 2018). Despite the DPRK regime and Kim Jong-Un’s involvement in kidnappings, hijackings, and assassinations, these extreme behaviors do not necessarily indicate that Kim suffers from a mental disorder. As Borum (2010) notes, “Mental illness is not a critical factor in explaining terrorist behavior, and most terrorists are not psychopaths.” Therefore, it is more plausible that Kim Jong-Un’s actions are driven by political and power considerations rather than mental illness. This essay explores the personality formation of Kim Jong-Un from a psychological perspective. The first part examines various psychological and diplomatic theories briefly. The second part introduces multiple examples to illustrate these theories, discussing DPRK foreign policy under the Trump 2.0 era and exploring its potential implications and consequences.